Department for Transport

M6: Accidents

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment Highways England has made of the effectiveness of the response to the incident on the M6 Motorway between junctions 5 and 6 on Thursday 4 February 2016.

Andrew Jones: Highways England conducted a structured debrief for this incident on 10 February. This is standard practice for any serious incident. It identified a number of recommendations, which are subject to ongoing discussions with other agencies. Once agreed, they will be used as lessons learnt for the management of future incidents.

M6: Accidents

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the level of co-operation between local authorities, the emergency services and Highways England in connection with the incident on the M6 Motorway between junctions 5 and 6 on Thursday 4 February 2016.

Andrew Jones: The structured debrief for this incident was carried out by Highways England on 10 February and included a representative from Central Motorway Police Group.Three recommendations relating to multi-agency coordination resulted from this meeting and Highways England will continue to work closely with these agencies to take away the lessons learned.

Home Office

Vetting

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the oldest uncompleted enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check was submitted.

Karen Bradley: The oldest uncompleted application for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate was received on 30 May 2014.It would not be appropriate to comment further on this specific case. But there are a number of factors which can affect the timely completion of checks. These include the length of time it can take for an employer to deal with the initial application, the accurate completion of the application form, the clarity of the information provided, the existence of conviction or non-conviction information and the operational effectiveness of the disclosure units of the police forces involved in the enhanced process. In some cases, forces will ask DBS to clarify some details provided by the applicant which requires further investigation and this can cause further delays.

US Department of Homeland Security: Airports

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many US Department of Homeland Security officials are based at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports; and how long each such official has been based at each airport.

James Brokenshire: Under the US Immigration Advisory Program, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers operate in an advisory capacity at Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports to support airlines in identifying passengers who should be prevented from boarding flights destined to the US. CBP officers have been operating at Heathrow since 2007, and at Gatwick and Manchester since 2008. The UK Government cannot comment on the number of CBP deployed at each location – this is an operational matter for the US Government.

Aviation: Immigration Controls

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many flights were attended by the Border Force beyond the primary control points in each of the last five years.

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many general aviation flights were (a) attended and (b) cleared remotely by the Border Force in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: Border Force does not have the requested data prior to 2012/13. Since then we have made improvements to our command and control of general aviation, including our national statistical reporting, and are able to provide full details from 2013 onwards.During 2013/14 Border Force a) attended 27,299 flights and remotely cleared 18,885 flightsDuring 2014/15 Border Force a) attended 27,033 flights and remotely cleared 32,042The figures quoted are management information, subject to internal quality checks and may be subject to change.

Home Office: Pay

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of her Department were in each of the last five years.

Karen Bradley: The average hourly pay for Civil Servants in the Home Office by gender and part and full time workers, for each of the last five years is in Table 1.



Average hourly earnings of employees
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.15 KB)

Entry Clearances: Children

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children arriving at UK airports from which countries were not eligible for entry clearance in 2015.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fires: Electrical Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of fires caused by an electrical source of ignition in domestic dwellings.

Mike Penning: The Department’s Fire Kills campaign, run in close partnership with fire and rescue authorities in England, promotes a range of domestic fire safety messages, including on electrical fire safety, to ensure householders take appropriate action to prevent accidental fires and understand how best they can protect themselves and their families.Fire Kills and Electrical Safety First have a longstanding and close partnership to promote electrical fire safety messages, including through the annual Electrical Fire Safety Week, which runs in November each year.The campaign also supports the Register My Appliance initiative, run by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances. This is designed to improve recall rates and ensure a greater number of faulty products can be traced and either repaired or removed from homes.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Fringe Benefits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department and non-departmental public bodies receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There are no staff employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) who are in receipt of (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance. This is also the case for FCO Services, the British Council, Wilton Park Executive Agency, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Great Britain China Centre.To obtain information for local staff employed directly by our overseas embassies and missions would incur disproportionate cost.

Russia: Poland

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the Russian government to return the 2010 Polish presidential air plane wreck to Poland.

Mr David Lidington: Immediately after the Smolensk tragedy, the UK Government extended our deepest condolences to the Polish government and people for the loss of their President, his wife and 94 others. The conduct of the investigation into the crash and the return of the wreckage is a matter for Poland and Russia, and we have received no requests to intervene.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Bahraini counterparts on the amount of political prisoners held in Bahrain; and what representations he has made for such prisoners.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) most recently raised human rights with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, on 4 February. Where we have specific concerns around convictions or sentencing, we raise these with the Government of Bahrain as part of our wider dialogue on human rights and reform.

Hassan Mushaima

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Bahraini counterpart on Mr. Hassan Mushaima and the provision of medical assistance for his condition.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are aware of the case of Hassan Mushaima and we have raised it with the Government of Bahrain. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments and to appropriately address all reports of ill-treatment of detainees. We also encourage all those with concerns about their treatment in detention to report these directly to the Ombudsman.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the self-determination movement in Bahrain that seeks to establish a freely elected government.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Governance of Bahrain is a matter for all political parties in Bahrain. We encourage all political parties, to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement. Although we were disappointed by the opposition’s decision to boycott the 2014 elections, we commended the participation of a broad range of candidates which saw 14 independent Shia candidates win seats, of which three were women.We regularly discuss reforms with the Government of Bahrain including at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting which was most recently held in November 2015. Reform programme activities delivered through the Causeway Institute have used lessons from Northern Ireland to improve community outreach, participation and communication – particularly to a youth audience.

Middle East: Humanitarian Aid

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to provide financial support to Jordan to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK has contributed £330 million to support stability in Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis, £193 million of which has gone towards support for refugees and host communities. We are committed to continuing our support. On 4 February the UK co-hosted the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region 2016’ conference which secured over $11bn in pledges for Syria's neighbours from the international community, the largest sum raised for a cause on a single day. Jordan agreed a Compact at the conference which will see their receiving new funding, concessional finance, and support to increase investment in return for providing refugees with access to work and education. The UK will be at the forefront of work to deliver this plan.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic progress has been made by the international community in delivering peace in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: On 11 February, the Foreign Secretary took part in the latest round of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich. At that meeting ISSG foreign ministers discussed how to support the political process, including through confidence building measures and steps towards a ceasefire, as called for in UNSCR 2254.The ISSG agreed the need to implement a cessation of hostilities within a week, to delivering humanitarian assistance to named besieged communities by the weekend of 13-14 February and to facilitate rapid progress in negotiations aimed at political transition. If implemented fully and properly by every ISSG member, this will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria.

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia on human rights in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We use the strength of our relationship and engagement with Saudi Arabia to encourage reform. Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign and Commonwealth human rights priority country and we do not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns when it is appropriate to do so – I raised them most recently when I visited Riyadh last month. The Government of Saudi Arabia is well aware of our position on Human Rights issues.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what evidence from independent bodies he has seen that Saudi Arabia is complying with international humanitarian law in the Yemen conflict.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence monitors incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations using available information which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. At this stage, looking at all the information available to us, we have not assessed that there has been a breach of IHL by the coalition, but continue to monitor the situation closely, seeking further information where appropriate. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL to the Saudi Arabian government and other members of the military Coalition. Most recently I raised the issue of IHL compliance on 4 February with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador in London

Syria: Islamic State

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether Daesh are committing genocide in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The situation is desperate for many communities within Syria and Iraq. We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against Christians, Mandeans, Yezidis, and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Syria and Iraq who continue to bear the brunt of Daesh’s brutality.It is a long-standing Government policy that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred are a matter for the international judicial system rather than governments or other non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of International Humanitarian Law and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology. That’s why the UK is playing a leading role in a Global Coalition of more than 65 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity.

Capital Punishment

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the global abolition of the death penalty.

Mr David Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 January (question 23192) to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Toby Perkins).

Syria: Refugees

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to tackle the refugee crisis on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Mr David Lidington: The UK continues to work closely with the Turkish government, including through implementation of the EU-Turkey Action Plan, to ensure that refugees continue to receive support and protection. We welcome Turkey’s generosity in hosting more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and the ongoing support it is providing bilaterally to refugees amassing at its border with Syria. On 4 February 2016, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. This is the UK's largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

Palestinians: Radicalism

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25988, on Palestinian radicalism, what recent reports he has received on incitement to commit violence by the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We condemn the glorification of terrorism and all incitement to commit violence, whichever side it comes from. Our posts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem supply regular updates on the current situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Included in these updates are reports on incidents of incitement from both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli authorities.We have also received representations from members of the public regarding reports of incitement by the Palestinian Authority.We continue to support Palestinian calls to reinstate the Tripartite Committee as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of Palestinian or Israeli incitement.

Syria: Refugees

Mr David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether a Minister from his Department plans to attend the high-level meeting on global responsibility sharing through pathways for admission of Syrian refugees hosted by UNHRC in Geneva on 30 March 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: No Foreign Office Minister is planning to attend this meeting. We understand that a Home Office Minister is considering attendance and will make a decision in the coming weeks.

Israel: Palestinians

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has (a) received and (b) made on the cancellation of the UK delegation to Israel and the Occupied Territories to follow up the report published by a delegation of British lawyers, entitled Children in Military Custody, in June 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have not received representations on this issue. I expressed my strong disappointment at Israel's unwillingness to host this follow-up visit with Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely during my visit to Israel on 18 February. Officials from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, including the Ambassador, also lobbied the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs to cooperate with the visit, and will continue to follow up. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention in Israel.

Transcaucasus: Armed Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the situation on the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

Mr David Lidington: The UK is concerned about regular ceasefire violations and the increasing use of heavy weaponry both on the line of contact around Nagorno-Karabakh and on the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We encourage both Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise restraint and accelerate efforts to reach a negotiated settlement of the conflict.

Colombia: Trade Unions

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart to request that he (a) take steps to protect trade unionists who have received death threats in the Valle del Cauca region and (b) establish who is responsible for those threats.

Mr Hugo Swire: Whilst I cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country, I raised human rights concerns with the Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister during the UN General Assembly in September and again with the Colombian Ambassador in November. I continue to urge the Colombian authorities to ensure justice for all victims of the conflict and to thoroughly investigate threats.Our Embassy in Bogotá takes every opportunity to urge the Colombian Government to take further measures to prevent violence and threats against human rights defenders including trade unionists. Our Ambassador in Bogota recently raised concerns about human rights defenders with both Colombian Interior Minister and the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights. Furthermore, this year we are funding a Colombian NGO to develop protection measures for human rights defenders in rural areas. Our Embassy will continue to raise these issues in regular meetings with the Colombian government.

Northern Ireland Office

Foreign Investment in UK

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to encourage foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The Government continues to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to encourage foreign direct investment with UKTI working in collaboration with Invest NI. Northern Ireland remains one of the most attractive UK regions for inward investment outside of London and the potential devolution of Corporation Tax powers could boost this further.

Bombardier: Redundancy

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she plans to have with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on job losses at Bombardier.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on job losses at Bombardier in Northern Ireland.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she plans to have with Chancellor of the Exchequer on job losses at Bombardier in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I recently held discussions on Bombardier with the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise and the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. I will continue to discuss this issue with Government and Executive Ministers.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Pay

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Attorney General, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of the Law Officers' Departments were in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is contained in the attached tables. 



Pay tables
(Word Document, 50.15 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Iron and Steel: Government Assistance

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether all companies in the steel industry which are entitled to state aid for renewables obligation and feed-in tariffs are receiving that compensation.

Anna Soubry: On 14 December, the EU Commission approved our first state aid case - to commence relief from the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation and small-scale Feed-in-Tariff. eligible companies are now able to apply for compensation, and those that apply by the end of the financial year will receive payments from the date of approval. Scheme guidance and application forms were published on 19 January 2016 and details can be found on the GOV.UK website. This compensation is in addition to the £60 million of support the Government has already given to the steel industry to mitigate the impact of climate policy.

Further Education

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to carry out an impact assessment after completion of the further education area review.

Nick Boles: Government will produce an evaluation of the area review programme and its potential to impact on groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. The reviews do not however, mandate action, and colleges are independent corporations, so it will be for each college’s governing body to assess the potential impact on groups protected by the Act, as part of its decision to accept or reject any recommendation requiring a change to their provision

Post Offices: Closures

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many post offices are earmarked for closure in the next three years.

George Freeman: Government’s funding arrangements for Post Office Limited require them to maintain a network that meets nationwide access criteria.Within that framework, the provision of post offices is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to you on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Further Education: Finance

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24265, what criteria colleges and post-16 educational institutions will have to meet in order to access the transitional funding facility allocated by his Department.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24265, how much transitional funding has been allocated to meet costs deemed essential to the successful implementation of his Department's area reviews but which cannot be met locally.

Nick Boles: Further details of the purpose and availability of the transitional funding facility will be available in due course.

Further Education

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24265, when he plans to (a) assess how many further education institutions are likely to incur financial penalties as a result of triggering break clauses in loan agreements they hold with banks resulting from his Department's area reviews and (b) publish such data.

Nick Boles: I refer the hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 24265

Further Education: Mergers

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 24499, what discussions his Department plans to have with banks on minimising the cost of loan and other penalties incurred by colleges which merge as part of area reviews.

Nick Boles: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 24367

Manufacturing Industries: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support the Government gives to large pharmaceutical companies to  partner with universities.

Joseph Johnson: In the last five years, Innovate UK has committed around £32M to support partnerships between pharmaceutical companies and universities in order to drive the translation of university-based research and commercial applications which tackle disease and life-threatening illnesses.In addition, the Government is investing in three Catapult Centres supporting the life sciences sector – the Cell Therapy, Precision Medicine and Medicines Technologies Catapults. These centres have a particular focus on supporting collaborative research and innovation among small and medium sized firms.Large companies are able to claim R&D Tax Relief through a 130% enhanced allowance or, alternatively, an 11% taxable credit via the R&D Expenditure Credit. In 2013/14, these schemes provided support of £950M to 3,950 businesses. Additionally, the UK’s Patent Box was introduced in 2013 and gives additional incentive to develop, retain and commercialise new, innovative patented products in the UK. The Patent Box offers an effective 10% corporation tax rate on trading profits earned in the UK from specified patents.

Medicine: Research

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what additional financial assistance he has given to universities to carry out medical research.

Joseph Johnson: The Medical Research Council provides funding for medical research to UK institutes, including universities. The table below sets out funding awarded in 2014/15. Medical Research Council Expenditure for 2014/15, by Organisation type, £kOrganisation typeTotal £kCharity Partnership£11,659Higher Education Institution£450,856Higher Education Institution/Independent Research Organisation£742MRC Institutes/Units£202,296Independent Research Organisation£9,695UK Government Body£21,386Total£696,632 The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) also allocates research funding to institutions. HEFCE’s quality-related research funding (QR) is allocated as an un-hypothecated block grant, which institutions are free to invest according to their own priorities. It is a matter for individual Higher Education Institutions to determine how it is ultimately distributed to particular activities/subjects.

Sunday Trading

Mr David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment the Regulatory Policy Committee has made of the devolution of Sunday trading rules.

Anna Soubry: The Government’s estimates of the economic impact will be independently scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee and their assessment will be published in due course.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: British Overseas Territories

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which British Overseas Territories will be included within the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

EU External Trade: Canada

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which British Overseas Territories will be included within the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Apprentices

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the number of apprentices at each of the apprenticeship educational levels 2 to 6 whom the Government plans to be part of its target of three million apprentices by 2020.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Metals

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the security of supply of (a) the rare earths neodymium and dysprosium and (b) tellurium.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Timber: Biofuels

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the effect of the Government's policy on biomass on the availability of UK-produced wood supplies to UK industries.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Taxation

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department is having with HM Treasury on renegotiation of tax treaties between the UK and developing countries.

Mr Nick Hurd: Negotiation of UK tax treaties is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC actively engages with developing countries and has recently agreed treaties with Senegal and Zambia.DFID works closely with both HM Treasury and HMRC to develop the Government’s tax and development policy and to improve the capacity of developing country tax administrations. DFID was at the forefront internationally of developing the Addis Tax Initiative, launched last year, which sees signatory donors commit to double their support on tax and signatory partner countries to commit to implement tax reform. It also calls for policy coherence on tax and development. There are currently over 30 signatories.

Department for Education

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in care are currently subject to Staying Put arrangements in each local authority area.

Edward Timpson: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 01 February 2016.The correct answer should have been:

Local authorityYoung people who ceased to be looked after in a foster placement on their 18th birthday during the year ending 31 March 2015, who are eligible for care leaver supportNumber remaining with their former foster carers 3 months after their 18th birthdayBarking & Dagenham105Barnet2010Barnsley1510Bath & NE Somerset1010Bedford Borough1010Bexley10xBirmingham5035Blackburn with Darwin10xBlackpool105Bolton2020Bournemouth15xBracknell Forest5xBradford2020Brent2515Brighton & Hove3520Bristol5030Bromley1010BuckinghamshirexxBury1010Calderdale105Cambridgeshire10xCamden1515Central Bedfordshire105Cheshire East1510Cheshire West and Chester5xCity of Londonx0Cornwall2010Coventry2515Croydon10020Cumbria2015Darlington5xDerby10xDerbyshire7510Devon4010Doncaster1010Dorset1515Dudley1515Durham1510Ealing1510East Riding of Yorkshire1510East Sussex2020Enfield5010Essex6525Gateshead1510Gloucestershire700Greenwich2520Hackney105HaltonxxHammersmith & Fulham1510Hampshire6035Haringey20xHarrow5xHartlepool1510Havering1010Herefordshire350Hertfordshire6510Hillingdon2510Hounslow2510Isle of Wight10xIsles of Scilly00Islington2520Kensington & Chelsea55Kent6015Kingston upon Hull1510Kingston upon ThamesxxKirklees1010Knowsley2510Lambeth95xLancashire5525Leeds4535Leicester City150Leicestershire105Lewisham3015Lincolnshire2020Liverpool8520Luton1510Manchester5535Medway1010Merton4010Middlesbrough1515Milton Keynes1510NE Lincolnshire5xNewcastle upon Tyne8010Newham3020Norfolk4535North LincolnshirexxNorth Somerset5xNorth Tyneside1010North Yorkshire1010Northamptonshire2020Northumberland10xNottingham City1510Nottinghamshire3020Oldham5xOxfordshire1010Peterborough15xPlymouth2020PoolexxPortsmouth5xReading1010Redbridge155Redcar & Cleveland55Richmond upon Thames105Rochdale155Rotherham15xRutland5xSalford105Sandwell2010Sefton1515Sheffield2015ShropshirexxSloughxxSolihull155Somerset2015South Gloucestershire1510South Tyneside2510Southampton2010Southend3015Southwark5035St Helens5xStaffordshire2515Stockport2515Stockton on Tees10xStoke205Suffolk1510Sunderland10xSurrey4540Sutton20xSwindon2010Tameside105Telford & Wrekin105Thurrock105Torbay205Tower Hamlets20015*Trafford305Wakefield1010Walsall5010Waltham Forest105Wandsworth50Warrington10xWarwickshire3010West Berkshire20xWest Sussex3020Westminster2015Wigan105Wiltshire105Windsor & MaidenheadxxWirral2515Wokingham10xWolverhampton1510Worcestershire3015York1515 England3,2301,5601. England total has been rounded to the nearest 10. Other numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.x. Figures not shown in order to protect confidentiality.*Since the publication of PQ 24560, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has notified the Department of a correction to their figure for the ‘Number remaining with their former foster carers 3 months after their 18th birthday’. Tower Hamlets submitted data stating this figure as 0, when it should have been 15 (rounded).

Edward Timpson: Local authorityYoung people who ceased to be looked after in a foster placement on their 18th birthday during the year ending 31 March 2015, who are eligible for care leaver supportNumber remaining with their former foster carers 3 months after their 18th birthdayBarking & Dagenham105Barnet2010Barnsley1510Bath & NE Somerset1010Bedford Borough1010Bexley10xBirmingham5035Blackburn with Darwin10xBlackpool105Bolton2020Bournemouth15xBracknell Forest5xBradford2020Brent2515Brighton & Hove3520Bristol5030Bromley1010BuckinghamshirexxBury1010Calderdale105Cambridgeshire10xCamden1515Central Bedfordshire105Cheshire East1510Cheshire West and Chester5xCity of Londonx0Cornwall2010Coventry2515Croydon10020Cumbria2015Darlington5xDerby10xDerbyshire7510Devon4010Doncaster1010Dorset1515Dudley1515Durham1510Ealing1510East Riding of Yorkshire1510East Sussex2020Enfield5010Essex6525Gateshead1510Gloucestershire700Greenwich2520Hackney105HaltonxxHammersmith & Fulham1510Hampshire6035Haringey20xHarrow5xHartlepool1510Havering1010Herefordshire350Hertfordshire6510Hillingdon2510Hounslow2510Isle of Wight10xIsles of Scilly00Islington2520Kensington & Chelsea55Kent6015Kingston upon Hull1510Kingston upon ThamesxxKirklees1010Knowsley2510Lambeth95xLancashire5525Leeds4535Leicester City150Leicestershire105Lewisham3015Lincolnshire2020Liverpool8520Luton1510Manchester5535Medway1010Merton4010Middlesbrough1515Milton Keynes1510NE Lincolnshire5xNewcastle upon Tyne8010Newham3020Norfolk4535North LincolnshirexxNorth Somerset5xNorth Tyneside1010North Yorkshire1010Northamptonshire2020Northumberland10xNottingham City1510Nottinghamshire3020Oldham5xOxfordshire1010Peterborough15xPlymouth2020PoolexxPortsmouth5xReading1010Redbridge155Redcar & Cleveland55Richmond upon Thames105Rochdale155Rotherham15xRutland5xSalford105Sandwell2010Sefton1515Sheffield2015ShropshirexxSloughxxSolihull155Somerset2015South Gloucestershire1510South Tyneside2510Southampton2010Southend3015Southwark5035St Helens5xStaffordshire2515Stockport2515Stockton on Tees10xStoke205Suffolk1510Sunderland10xSurrey4540Sutton20xSwindon2010Tameside105Telford & Wrekin105Thurrock105Torbay205Tower Hamlets20015*Trafford305Wakefield1010Walsall5010Waltham Forest105Wandsworth50Warrington10xWarwickshire3010West Berkshire20xWest Sussex3020Westminster2015Wigan105Wiltshire105Windsor & MaidenheadxxWirral2515Wokingham10xWolverhampton1510Worcestershire3015York1515 England3,2301,5601. England total has been rounded to the nearest 10. Other numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.x. Figures not shown in order to protect confidentiality.*Since the publication of PQ 24560, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has notified the Department of a correction to their figure for the ‘Number remaining with their former foster carers 3 months after their 18th birthday’. Tower Hamlets submitted data stating this figure as 0, when it should have been 15 (rounded).

GCSE

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils who achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in each of the last five years received an A* to C grade in (a) a modern foreign language and (b) science.

Nick Gibb: The table below provides information for the percentage of pupils that achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in each year from 2010/11 to 2013/14 who received an A* to C grade in a modern foreign language (MFL) or in each of the science pathways[1]. Data for 2014/15 has not yet been finalised.  Of those pupils[2] who achieved 5 or more GCSEs or equivalent at grade A* to C in the relevant year Pupils who achieved 5 or more GCSEs or equivalent at grade A* to CPercentage achieving a modern foreign language[3] GCSE at grade A* to CPercentage achieving Core and additional science[4] GCSE at grade A* to CPercentage achieving Separate science[5] GCSE at grade A* to C2010/11499,05735.933.024.62011/12508,22835.030.726.92012/13517,38840.729.126.42013/14394,75251.242.129.6  [1] Note that separate figures are provided for the core science and triple award science pathways. Information is not provided for double award science due to low numbers of entries.[2] Based on pupils at the end of key stage 4 in each year.[3] Based on the highest grade achieved in any modern foreign language GCSE - if pupils achieved two or more languages and achieved different grades then they only appear once in the figures.[4] Figures include only those pupils who entered and achieved the core science pathway (having entered core and additional science and have achieved an A*-C in both) and are based on the highest grade achieved in either of the component subjects.[5] Figures include only those pupils who entered and achieved the separate science pathway (having entered three of biology, chemistry, physics and computer science and having achieved A*-C in two of them) and are based on the highest grade achieved in any of the component subjects.

Regional Schools Commissioners

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what functions are delegated to each specialist contractor hired by her Department to advise regional school commissioners.

Edward Timpson: Invitation to tender including the contract was published on contracts finder on GOV.UK on 12 August 2015 at:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fcbd797d-c613-47f5-8853-79f2ad7d74a9

Schools: Admissions

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities, free schools and academies uphold the Armed Forces Covenant in relation to school admissions.

Nick Gibb: All admission authorities and local authorities have a legal duty to comply with the School Admissions Code, which in response to the Armed Forces Covenant, includes a number of provisions intended to ensure that children of UK service personnel are not disadvantaged as a result of their mobility when applying for a school place.

Children: Day Care

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many four year olds in Ashfield constituency have received the 15 hours free childcare allowance (a) in private, voluntary or independent sector nurseries, (b) in nursery schools or nursery units in infant or primary schools and (c) from childminders registered to provide early years education in each academic year since that allowance was introduced.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Information at constituency level is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Schools

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the number of pupils currently in receipt of the service pupil premium.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those pupils who are eligible to receive the service pupil premium are receiving that premium.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase the service pupil premium from its current rate.

Mr Sam Gyimah: There are 68,771 pupils currently in receipt of the service premium. This information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-2015-to-2016-allocationsSchools are encouraged to identify children eligible for the service premium in their school census returns. The service premium is allocated to schools based on these returns. Last October, the Department for Education wrote to Regional Schools Commissioners and sent information to local authorities providing details of the education measures under the Armed Forces Covenant, including the service premium.We have protected the per pupil rates of the service premium for the duration of this parliament. Schools will thus continue to receive £300 for every eligible service child, and the service premium will continue to be in paid through the pupil premium grant to schools.

Children: Day Care

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many two year olds in Ashfield constituency have received the 15 hours free childcare allowance (a) in private, voluntary or independent sector nurseries and (b) from childminders registered to provide early years education in each academic year since that allowance was introduced.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Information at constituency level is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Children: Day Care

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many three year olds in Ashfield constituency have received the 15 hours free childcare allowance (a) in private, voluntary or independent sector nurseries, (b) in nursery schools or nursery units in infant or primary schools and (c) from childminders registered to provide early years education in each academic year since that allowance was introduced.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Information at constituency level is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Schools: Admissions

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she received from religious organisations on steps to prevent civil society organisations from objecting to school admission arrangements prior to her announcing proposals to limit such objections to local parents and councils.

Nick Gibb: The Department’s proposed changes are intended to ensure that the Adjudicator is able to focus on the concerns parents may have about the fairness of the admission arrangements of their local school, and is not held up by the need also to consider objections referred by interest groups from outside the area.We do not believe that preventing other organisations from submitting objections will have a detrimental impact.A full public consultation will be conducted in due course and careful consideration will be given to all the views expressed in that consultation.

Schools: Admissions

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that charities or other civil society organisations who wish to object to the admission arrangements of a school can do so on behalf of parents local to that school.

Nick Gibb: The Department’s proposed changes in relation to objections are designed to ensure that the Schools Adjudicator is able to focus on the concerns parents may have about the fairness of the admission arrangements of their local school and is not held up by the need also to consider objections referred by interest groups from outside the area. Local authorities will continue to have the right to object so that they are able to act on behalf of the local community.We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course and will give careful consideration to all the views expressed in that consultation.

Schools: Admissions

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average number of days was for a determination to be made by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator after an objection to a school's admission arrangements was submitted in each the last four years.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Armed Forces Covenant

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many cases the Schools Adjudicator has investigated in connection with the provisions of the Armed Forces Covenant since 2011.

Nick Gibb: In response to the Armed Forces Covenant, the School Admissions Code (the code) contains various provisions to ensure that children of UK service personnel are not disadvantaged when applying for a school place. Admission authorities are required to comply with the code. Objections citing provisions relating to the Armed Forces Covenant would not be within the Office of the School Adjudicator’s jurisdiction (excluding those relating to service premium admission).The Office of the School’s Adjudicator has not received any objections relating to this issue.

Children: Autism

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has received representations on requests by schools to parents and carers that children with autism spectrum disorder not attend school during Ofsted inspections in the last five years.

Edward Timpson: The Department is aware of a small number of cases in the last few years where parents and carers have complained about a school either asking a child with autism to stay at home on Ofsted inspection days, or diverting the child to other non-academic activities on those days.Whenever such complaints have been received, we have been absolutely clear that any request for a child to stay at home during an Ofsted inspection would be an unlawful exclusion and that parents and carers should make a formal complaint to the school’s board of governors. Taking a child out of normal timetabled lessons during an inspection is unacceptable and should be drawn to the attention of the school’s board of governors.Parents can also ask the Secretary of State to make a determination under Sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996, which give her the power to direct a governing body where it has failed to discharge a statutory duty or has done so unreasonably. Any such direction would have to be expedient, in that there must be something the Secretary of State could direct the school to do which would put matters right.Depending on the circumstances, parents and carers could also bring a claim of disability discrimination to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability).Ofsted’s school inspection framework requires inspectors to take account of schools’ use of exclusion. The Department would also pass to Ofsted any relevant evidence that falls within the inspectorate’s remit. If, during the course of an Ofsted inspection, inspectors become aware that a school has unlawfully excluded pupils for the period of the inspection, this will be taken into account in judging the effectiveness of the school and its leadership. If the evidence emerges after the inspection, the matter will be investigated by Ofsted and could lead to the school receiving an unannounced inspection visit.

Arts: Education

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the number of pupils taking creative subjects does not fall as a result of the introduction of the English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: This Government’s aim is that at least 90% of pupils will enter GCSEs in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects of English, maths, science, humanities and languages.The EBacc has been designed to be limited in its size in order to provide a rigorous academic core whilst leaving space in the curriculum for pupils to study other subjects of their choice, including creative subjects, alongside the EBacc subjects. Since the EBacc was announced in 2010, the proportion of pupils in state-funded schools entered for at least one arts GCSE has increased from 45.8% in 2011 to 49.6% in 2015.[1]On 3 November 2015, the Secretary of State for Education launched a public consultation seeking views on the government’s proposals for the implementation of the English Baccalaureate.[2] The consultation closed on 29 January 2016 and the Government response will be published in due course.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ebacc-and-non-ebacc-subject-entries-and-achievement[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementing-the-english-baccalaureate

Special Guardianship Orders

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22095, whether her new proposals on special guardianship orders will include revisions to the child maintenance system.

Edward Timpson: The Government published its response to the special guardianship review on 17 December 2015, which can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/special-guardianship-reviewIn our response, we said that we would make a further announcement about improving support for special guardians. We expect to make this announcement in due course.

Children in Care: Mental Health Services

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the access to therapeutic services for children who enter the care system.

Edward Timpson: Local authorities are required to comply with a robust care planning framework which clearly sets out their duties in meeting the needs of looked-after children. This includes the assessment of a child’s emotional and mental health and requires the local authority to set out how they will address any needs.This framework should ensure that every looked-after child can access the support and services they need. At the Education Select Committee hearing on the mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children on 3 February 2016, the Minister for Community and Social Care announced that the Departments of Health and Education will be setting up an expert group working with NHS England, Health Education England, and sector partners to develop care pathways to support an integrated approach to meeting the needs of looked-after children with mental health difficulties. The experts will be drawn from across the health, social care and education sectors, with input from children, young people, carers and families with experience of the care system.In addition, the Department for Education’s £100 million Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme currently supports 53 projects in the development, testing and spreading of more effective ways of supporting children and families who need help. This includes projects focused on providing therapeutic services to improve outcomes for young people, including those looked-after and on the edge of care. The projects are being independently evaluated.

Academies

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures schools are required to follow in order to withdraw from an academy trust.

Edward Timpson: Where there are concerns about the performance of an academy the Regional Schools Commissioner may decide that the support of a new academy trust is needed to bring about the necessary improvements. In these cases the Regional Schools Commissioner may be able to use the termination powers set out in the academy’s funding agreement to require the academy to move to a new trust without the agreement of the academy or the existing trust. The Education and Adoption Bill will give Regional Schools Commissioners stronger more consistent powers to do this with failing and coasting academies.Where the academy is performing well this is a matter for discussion and agreement between the academy, the trust and the relevant Regional Schools Commissioner.

Primary Education: Free School Meals

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 25621, if her Department will publish that part of the small schools taskforce report which is not already in the public domain.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We do not have any plans to publish anything further beyond the toolkit for small schools which was made available to schools last year.

Free School Meals

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the change in that part of her Department's budget which is allocated to free school meals that will result from discontinuation of universal infant free school meals; and whether such a change would trigger a consequential change in the payment to devolved administrations under the Barnett formula.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Universal infant free school meals have been a great success, with over 1.3 million additional infants enjoying a nutritious, free meal at lunchtime and parents saving hundreds of pounds a year. The Chancellor made it clear at the spending review in the autumn that, in line with the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment, this policy will be protected for the duration of the Parliament. It costs around £600 million a year in England, with proportionate funding going to the devolved administrations under the Barnett formula.

Languages: GCSE

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the new grading system for GCSEs on students of Latin and Greek; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Children in Care: Mental Health Services

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children and young people entering care complete the strengths and difficulties questionnaire to assess their wellbeing in (a) England and (b) Birmingham.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in assessing the wellbeing of children and young people when they enter the care system.

Edward Timpson: This Government is committed to supporting children in care and the unique challenges that they often face. That is why we’ve put in place a comprehensive package of support, including the introduction of the Pupil Premium Plus and compulsory Virtual School Heads to champion the attainment of children in care. We’ve also changed the rules so foster children can remain at home until 21 and have recognised long-term fostering as a placement in its own right, providing young people with greater stability as they prepare for independence and adult life.The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. The data returned by local authorities are based on questionnaires completed by the child’s main carer. SDQs should inform a looked-after child’s annual health assessment.In England, 72% of 5-16 year olds, looked after for at least 12 months, have had an SDQ score submitted. In Birmingham, 85% of these children have had an SDQ score submitted. These figures are correct as of 31 March 2015. More information can be found in the Department’s Statistical First Release Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England at 31 March 2015[1].The SDQ is an internationally validated screening tool that provides information about the behavioural and emotional health of children. It has been part of the Department’s statistical collection for looked-after children since 2008. Where the SDQ score from the main carer suggests there may be a problem, the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children[2], which is issued jointly by the Department for Education and Department for Health, makes clear that consideration should be given to further assessment.The Department recently supported the research undertaken by the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford on The Educational Progress of Looked-After Children in England: Linking Care and Education Data[3]. This research demonstrates that having a high SDQ score was strongly predictive of poor GCSE outcomes. We are discussing the implications of this research with local authority Virtual School Heads.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2[3] http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EducationalProgressLookedAfterChildrenOverviewReport_Nov2015.pdf

Pre-school Education: North West

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many maintained nurseries there are in (a) Burnley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West.

Mr Sam Gyimah: According to data from EduBase[1], there are eight local authority maintained nurseries in the Burnley constituency, 24 in Lancashire local authority, and 70 in the North West.Local authority maintained nurseries are nurseries run by local authorities which are stand-alone and not attached to a primary school. There is therefore more nursery provision in these areas than these figures show; for example, nursery classes in schools and private nurseries. [1] EduBase as at 9th February 2016. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-in-england

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Drugs

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to eradicate new psychoactive substances across the prison estate; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: We take a zero tolerance approach to drugs in prison and there are already a range of robust measures in place to detect drugs, including the use of search dogs and intelligence-led searches. More than 300 dogs have received specialist training to detect NPS. We recently introduced tough new laws which will see those who smuggle packages over prison walls, including new psychoactive substances, face up to two years in prison. Those who involve themselves in the distribution of drugs in our prisons should know that they will face prosecution and extra time behind bars.We have begun a pilot to test for the use of psychoactive substances, and in April 2016, we plan to introduce widespread mandatory drug testing of prisoners for psychoactive substances. Those who are found to have used psychoactive substances will face sanctions under prison rules, including by having days added to their time in custody.

Rochester Prison: Self-harm

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidences of self harm were reported at HM Prison Rochester in each of the last 12 months; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce such incidences in the prison estate.

Andrew Selous: Annual information on self-harm in each prison is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495428/safety-in-custody-self-harm-dec-2014.xls The Government is committed to reducing the incidence of self-harm in prisons. All prisons are required to have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people who are at risk of harm to themselves. These include the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, which is a prisoner-centred, flexible care planning system for prisoners identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm.

Prisons: Employment

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve prisons' engagement with employers; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: Supporting offenders into meaningful employment is a vital aspect of the Government’s approach to rehabilitation. We already work with a wide range of employers in prison through One3One Solutions and engagement by Prison Governors. We are keen to grow the number of employers who can provide valuable vocational work for offenders while in prison and who are able to offer them support in preparation for release and employment opportunities following their release and I regularly meet businesses across the country including at 2 successful roadshows at HMP Sudbury and HMP/YOI Drake Hall. I am pleased new businesses are now coming on board as a consequence. The Employers Forum for Reducing Reoffending brings together employers willing to employ offenders and we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the involvement of more businesses.

Human Rights

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has for consultation with (a) civil society groups, (b) the devolved administrations and (c) Northern Ireland to inform its report for the third cycle of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.

Dominic Raab: We have not yet been informed of the date of the third Universal Periodic Review of the UK.

Legal Representation: Domestic Violence

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Government spent on The Queen on the application of Rights of Women v The Lord Chancellor and Anr. Appeal of Claimant from the order of Mrs Justice Lang, dated 22 January 2015, filed 12 February 2015.

Caroline Dinenage: Since 22 January 2015 we have spent approximately £12,500 (excluding VAT) on legal fees in this case. We are pleased the court confirmed the Lord Chancellor did have the power to set domestic violence evidence requirements. We will now carefully consider the two findings made about the period of time for which evidence applies and concerns about victims of financial abuse.

Family Courts: Domestic Violence

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the safety of the family court estate for victims of domestic abuse during cases involving child contact.

Caroline Dinenage: HMCTS takes the issue of security within its courts extremely seriously and has in place a robust security and safety system to protect all court users, and the judiciary, in every family court. Risk assessments are carried out regularly by court managers and assured by security and safety professionals to ensure adequate protection measures are in place. These measures include inter-agency agreements to ensure the safety and security of victims and witnesses when attending court, such as support and escorts into the building and - where possible - alternative entry and exit routes and separate waiting rooms. There are also court security officers in place who have legislative powers to protect all those in the court building. Security measures include mandatory bag searches, the use of modern security searching equipment and surveillance cameras, and panic alarms in hearing rooms. Our security standards are continually reviewed to ensure they are effective, proportionate and effectively mitigate against the risks posed to court users, including victims of domestic abuse.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) homes and (b) businesses he expects to receive a rural satellite broadband voucher in the next 12 months.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Up to 300,000 premises are currently eligible for support under the Universal Service Commitment.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) homes and (b) businesses have (i) received and (ii) redeemed rural satellite broadband vouchers.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Since the launch of the scheme 2 months ago, 1265 eligible applications have been received and are being processed, and 126 households and businesses have placed orders for installations.

Mobile Phones: Radio Frequencies

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration his Department has given to making funding available for equipment manufacturers to research and develop equipment for operation in new spectrum allocated for use by the Programme Making and Special Events sector since the reallocation of the 700MHz band.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Ofcom have published a consultation outlining alternative spectrum bands for PMSE users. The PMSE community have been involved in the process to identify alternative suitable spectrum. We are currently working closely with Ofcom to look at how PMSE users can be supported if they need to purchase new equipment.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of satellite broadband for serving rural areas; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure parity of service and cost with other types of broadband supply.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Satellite broadband can deliver download speeds of 10Mbps and above and upload speeds of 5Mbps. The subsidised offer to meet the Universal Service Commitment gives a first year only subsidy for a basic package of up to £400. This will make available an affordable basic broadband service to those premises unable to get a speed of at least 2Mbps. The total number of premises eligible for the universal service commitment subsidy had been substantially reduced, from around 11% in 2010 to around 1% by the end of 2015, as a result of roll-out superfast broadband by the commercial sector and through publicly-funded programmes.

Broadband: St Albans

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when 100 per cent of residents in St Albans will have access to superfast broadband; and when ultrafast broadband will be rolled out in St Albans.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Based on current delivery plans, it is estimated that 98% of premises in the St Albans constituency will have access to superfast broadband by the end of June 2018. Additional funding sources, including Herts & Bucks share of the £129 million of early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, could allow coverage to be extended further in St Albans and the rest of the area covered by the Herts & Bucks broadband project. Virgin Media already provides services over 100Mbps in many urban areas, including extensive network coverage in St Albans.

Tech North: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding the Government plans to allocate to Tech North in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18; and who decides on what that funding is spent.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Tech North has received funding of £2m in 2015-16. In addition the 2015 Spending Review allocated funding for Tech North of £2m in 2016-17 and £2m in 2017-18. This funding is provided via Tech City UK. An annual delivery plan for Tech North, to be agreed with DCMS, will determine how its funds are spent for each year it has funding.

Broadband

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the total annual cost to the UK economy of broadband connections that do not reach Ofcom's acceptable minimum speed of 10Mbit/s.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The economic benefits of broadband are clear - and that is why we have done and invested more that ever since 2010 than ever to ensure that 95% of homes and businesses right across the UK will have access to superfast broadband by the end of 2017. The benefits are supported by SQW Consulting’s UK Broadband impact study in 2013 estimated that the availability and take-up of faster broadband speeds will add about £17 billion to the UK’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2024. In November, the Prime Minister announced our ambition to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) at 10 Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection from a designated provider, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live. We will be consulting on these proposals shortly.

Broadband: Gloucestershire

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the coverage of high-speed broadband in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The roll-out of superfast broadband in Gloucestershire is being delivered by Fastershire which is a partnership between Gloucestershire County Council and Herefordshire Council with funding from central government’s BDUK programme matched by the local authorities. Over 68,000 homes and businesses in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire have access to superfast broadband which will increase to over 119,000 by September 2017.

Radio Frequencies

Nigel Huddleston: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with Ofcom on (a) allocating additional resources and (b) developing additional measures to monitor accidental interference to programme making and special events services from (i) licence-exempt and (ii) manually configure white space devices.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Government considers Ofcom's existing powers of enforcement sufficient to address interference from unlicensed use at this time. Ofcom is working with the Federation of Communication Services to develop a Code of Practice for the installation of manually configured white space devices. Ofcom also plans to conduct early-phase compliance checks on licensees of manually configured devices.

Public Libraries: Closures

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) rural and (b) urban public libraries have closed in (i) Wiltshire and (ii) England in each year since 2000.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Department does not commission information relating to the closure of rural and urban libraries. Data relating to public libraries is collected and published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. My Rt Hon Friend will note that the number of library service points in the Wilshire Library Authority has increased from 34 in 2000, to 36 in 2015. Meanwhile, in Labour-run Wales, the number of library service points in the same period dropped from 321 to 274.   31 MarchTotal service points open ten hours or more per week, including mobile libraries, in EnglandTotal service points open ten hours or more per week, including mobile libraries, in Wiltshire Library Authority20003,5013420013,4973420023,5043420033,5103520043,5243520053,4743520063,5003620073,4943620083,4693720093,4513720103,4283720113,3933720123,2433720133,1813620143,1423620153,07636

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to rural broadband subscribers of paying separately for satellite broadband and telephony; and what the impact of such costs is on the rural economy.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Our Satellite Broadband Scheme offers homes and businesses in some of the most remote areas of the UK a subsidised satellite broadband connection if they are currently unable to obtain an affordable broadband service of at least 2 Mbps.The benefits of broadband are clear - and that is why we have introduced this subsidised offer to meet the Universal Service Commitment - which gives a first year only subsidy for a basic package capped at £400.The total number of premises eligible for the universal service commitment subsidy had been substantially reduced, from around 11% in 2010 to around 1% by the end of 2015, as a result of roll-out superfast broadband by the commercial sector and through publicly-funded programmes.

Royal Photographic Society

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has been consulted on the transfer of the Royal Photographic Society's collection from the National Media Museum to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Mr Edward Vaizey: DCMS museums operate at arm’s length from government and the transfer of objects between national museums is a matter for the boards of the museums. The Trustees of the Science Museum approved the transfer of the Royal Photographic Society’s collection to the V&A, and the Royal Photographic Society also approve of the transfer. The Department was informed in December 2015.The V&A intend to store, digitise and make the photographic collection available as part of its planned International Photography Resource Centre, which will provide the public with a world-class facility to access the consolidated collection.

National Photography Collection

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on a National Photography Museum.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The National Media Museum in Bradford holds the National Photographic Collection, which has over 3 million photographic objects. DCMS museums operate at arm’s length from government and the transfer of objects between national museums is a matter for the boards of the museums.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Fringe Benefits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in his Department and non-departmental public bodies receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

Mr Edward Vaizey: There are no staff in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who receive a home to work travel allowance, a car allowance, and/or subsidised health insurance. The Department does not hold this information for its arm’s length bodies.

Cultural Heritage

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to identify the best ways to tackle cultural heritage destruction overseas.

Mr Edward Vaizey: This Government is committed to the protection of cultural heritage from destruction overseas. That is why we secured £30m of Overseas Development Assistance from 2016 to 2020 for our newly-established Cultural Protection Fund - to create opportunities for economic development through building capacity to foster, safeguard and promote cultural heritage.The British Museum’s Iraqi Heritage Emergency Management Programme (announced on the 28th October at the Cultural Protection Summit) is the Fund's first programme. A period of consultation is now underway with expert stakeholders working in the arts, heritage, museums and development sectors, to help determine its exact scope and identify best practice.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he intends to answer the letter to him dated 5 January 2016 with regard to Mr Julian Chapman.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Thank you to the Right Hon Gentleman for his letter, which we received on February 12. He will receive a response within 20 working days from that date.

Athletics: Sportsgrounds

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many new athletics tracks have been built since August 2012.

David Evennett: According to Sport England’s Active Places Power database which maps community sports facilities in England, 15 new athletics tracks have been built in England since 2012. This data can be found at: www.activeplacespower.com

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Fringe Benefits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department and non-departmental public bodies receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

Justin Tomlinson: The information below is as at 31 January 2016.   Home to work travel allowance - DWP and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) pay excess fares only when an employee is compulsorily transferred to another office at the department’s instigation and the cost of travelling to the new workplace is greater than the cost met by the employee in travelling to the previous workplace. Currently, there are 2,144 DWP employees (2.5% of workforce) and 44 HSE employees (1.59% of workforce) receiving excess fares. These payments are normally time-limited to 3 years, although can be for 5 years in exceptional circumstances. No other DWP non-departmental public bodies are making such payments.Car allowance – DWP currently pays a car allowance to 117 (0.14%) employees, who transferred into DWP from another employer. This is not an allowance that is available to other DWP employees, but DWP is legally obliged to honour the previous contractual agreement following the transfer. No other DWP non-departmental public bodies are making such payments.   Subsidised health insurance – From 31/03/16 no DWP employees will receive subsidised health insurance. The Pensions Advisory Service currently pays Benenden for healthcare cover on behalf of its 44 employees which was originally paid as a recruitment and retention benefit. This attracts a tax liability which is paid by TPAS as an organisation.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children live in households affected by the under-occupancy penalty in (a) Merseyside and (b) the UK; and what the average reduction in housing benefit award was for each such household.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested regarding how many children live in households affected by the under-occupation penalty in Merseyside and the United Kingdom is published and available at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/   The information requested regarding the average reduction in the housing benefit award for each such household is not available; but information is available for the weekly amount of spare room reduction amount (in bands) and is published at the link below:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research.htm

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claims for universal credit were paid within 42 days of a claim being made in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

Priti Patel: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claims for (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance were paid within 10 days of a claim being made in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

Priti Patel: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been placed in (a) the support group and (b) the work-related activity group with a prognosis statement of (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) 12 months, (iv) 18 months, (v) two years and (iv) longer than two years since the introduction of employment and support allowance.

Priti Patel: The information requested is shown in the table below.PrognosisSupport GroupWork Related Activity GroupAll2,121,5001,564,5003 months225,400344,9006 months475,900334,00012 months339,700226,90018 months272,600152,600Not for 2 years120,500131,300Not in longer term545,100257,400

Vacancies: Birkenhead

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) proportion of vacancies listed on Universal Jobmatch that are within 20 miles of Birkenhead are unfilled and (b) wage levels those vacancies are listed at; and for how long those vacancies have been unfilled.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available, as Universal Jobmatch is a self-service job posting and matching service. Outcomes of vacancies posted on the site are not monitored.

Flexible Support Fund: Lone Parents

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) level of use by single parents of the Jobcentre Plus Flexible Support Fund.

Priti Patel: The Department has not conducted any specific evaluation work on the use of Flexible Support Fund for single parents.

Flexible Support Fund: Females

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much and what proportion of the Flexible Support Fund was spent on female jobseekers in 2014-15.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available.

European Social Fund: Employment

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the number of people helped into work through funding provided under the European Social Fund.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the European Social Fund on levels of unemployment in the UK.

Priti Patel: By the end of 2014, a total of 688,625 participants had entered work on leaving provision during the life of the European Social Fund (ESF) 2007-2013 programme for England and Gibraltar. In addition, based on a representative survey of participants we estimate that 1,115,297 were in work 6 months after leaving provision.   The European Social Fund Cohort Study (2012–2014) provides further evidence of the impact of the programme and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-social-fund-esf-cohort-study-2012-to-2014   The responsibility for ESF is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Social Security Benefits: Cancer

Corri Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of (a) disability living allowance and (b) personal independence payments are (i) undergoing treatment for and (ii) recovering from cancer.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available as information on treatment is not recorded centrally.

Ministry of Defence

Electronic Warfare

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what programmes his Department is developing relating to cyber defence.

Penny Mordaunt: The Defence Cyber Programme delivers cyber defence activities for Defence as a whole. It incorporates the following strands:Defensive cyber;People and training;Information and intelligence;Strategic direction;Offensive cyber.Further to this, each single Service has their own cyber transformation programme within which they are undertaking projects to understand and meet defensive cyber requirements specific to each Service.

Armed Forces: Intelligence Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) intelligence officers and (b) intelligence analysts served in each branch of the armed forces in each of the last six years.

Penny Mordaunt: Details of the number of intelligence officers and analysts by Service as at 1 January during the last six years are set out below:  Intelligence OfficersIntelligence Analysts All Services TotalRoyal Navy/ Royal MarinesArmyRoyal Air ForceAll Services TotalRoyal Navy/ Royal MarinesArmyRoyal Air Force2011....330280....1,2308502012720110320280....1,3108902013720110320280....1,4209202014700120320260....1,4109102015690120320250....1,4008802016710130330260....1,400820Notes:   1The Royal Navy does not have a specific marker for those who engage in intelligence analysis in their role, and therefore cannot provide a figure on this amount. 2The Intelligence Officer Specialisation did not exist until February 2011 within the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy/Royal Marines and All Services total have therefore been marked as not available.3For Royal Navy/Royal Marines, Intelligence Officer does not fully encompass everyone who engages in intelligence work, as not all have an identifiable marker. 4Figures for the Army exclude those on the Long Service List and Senior Soldier Continuity Posts, and Officers with a paid rank of Colonel or above. 5Army Other Ranks personnel have been grouped as Intelligence Analysts.  6The data provided is confined solely to trained full-time UK Regular Forces and excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service and part-time reservist personnel.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the country of (a) origin and (b) destination was of each flight in a fixed wing aircraft or helicopter carrying or transporting Defence Nuclear Materials in the last five years.

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) physical state, (b) mass quantity and (c) total radiological quantity in Becquerels was of Defence Nuclear Materials transported or carried by fixed wing aircraft or helicopter in the last five years.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many flights were undertaken in fixed wing aircraft or helicopters to transport or carry Defence Nuclear Materials in the last five years.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the flight path of any flight in a fixed wing aircraft or helicopter of Defence Nuclear Materials has involved travel over the airspace of Scotland and its territorial seas in each of the last five years.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the country of origin was of the fixed wing aircraft or helicopter in each flight transporting or carrying Defence Nuclear Materials in the last five years.

Penny Mordaunt: In the last five years, 23 flights carrying Defence Nuclear Materials (DNM) were undertaken. All flights were between the UK and the United States on fixed wing aircraft under the control of UK Armed Forces. No such flights passed over Scotland, or involved the use of helicopters.   I am withholding details of the physical state, mass and radiological quantity of DNM transported as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security. The transport of DNM is carried out to the highest standard in accordance with stringent safety regulations. In over 50 years of transporting DNM in the UK, there has never been an incident that has posed any radiation hazard to the public or to the environment.

World War I: Anniversaries

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to commemorate the Battle of Jutland.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will be commemorating the Battle of Jutland with a significant and extensive programme of events, not least as the principal delivery partner to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for the national commemorations in the Orkney Islands and on Jutland Bank on 31 May 2016.The Royal Navy will be holding and supporting events throughout the UK and, in addition, will be supporting events in Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.The MOD welcomes the opportunity to make such a significant contribution to the commemoration of this historic Naval battle and the wider Great War at Sea.

War Widows

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the number of war widows who remarried between 6 April 2005 and 1 April 2015.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the number of women who become war widows before 6 April 2005 and remarried between 6 April 2005 and 1 April 2015.

Mark Lancaster: Between 6 April 2005 and 1 April 2015, 195 war widow(er)s remarried regardless of when they became a war widow(er). After becoming a war widow prior to 6 April 2005, 135 women remarried between 6 April 2005 and 1 April 2015. In line with Defence Statistics' Rounding Policy for War Pension Scheme data, figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

Armed Forces: Languages

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel in (a) the Army, (b) the RAF and (c) the Royal Navy are classed as level 3 or higher linguists in (i) Arabic, (ii) Polish, (iii) Russian, (iv) Ukrainian, (v) Estonian, (vi) German, (vii) French, (viii) Pashto, (ix) Dari, (x) Farsi and (xi) Spanish.

Penny Mordaunt: The numbers of personnel in the UK Armed Forces in the Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy classed as level 3 or higher linguists in Arabic, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Estonian, German, French, Pashto, Dari, Farsi and Spanish is as follows:  ArmyRAFNavyTotalArabic3116451Polish1203Russian64515Ukrainian0000Estonian0000German164323French962822146Pashto4842898Dari304842Farsi2112639Spanish21111547Total27012371464

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the US Department of Defense's decision to delay the acceleration of orders of the F-35 until 2021.

Mr Philip Dunne: The US Department of Defense budget decision in relation to accelerating F-35 orders does not impact on the UK's F-35B Lightning II procurement policy, which we will continue to progress in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The programme remains on track for initial operating capability in 2018.

European Fighter Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of whether the Project Centurion configuration for the Typhoon will be completed by the end of 2018.

Mr Philip Dunne: Working closely with Industry and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), the Ministry of Defence conducts regular reviews as to the status of Project CENTURION as part of its Typhoon Programme delivery activity to ensure it delivers the planned capability upgrades by the end of 2018.

Aircraft Carriers: Engines

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has been informed of any defects relating to the reliability of the Rolls-Royce MT-30 marine gas turbine engines for the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

Mr Philip Dunne: There are no indications of reliability problems with the MT-30 gas turbine engines, which are used for electrical power generation on the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to improve security at the Akrotiri and Dhekelia RAF Sovereign Base Areas; and how much his Department has spent on securing those areas in each of the last 10 years.

Penny Mordaunt: There are robust and established measures in place to provide effective security to the Akrotiri and Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas, both of which have undergone various upgrades during the past 10 years. I cannot comment in detail on the security arrangements, the cost of them, and any specific changes to them over the last ten years, but they include physical improvements and intelligence driven countermeasures. All measures are kept under constant review.

Ministry of Defence: Business Interests

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is and what guidance it issues to civil servants on the acceptance and declaration of corporate gifts.

Mark Lancaster: The Department's rules on the acceptance of gifts and hospitality state that every head of Division or Commanding Officer must maintain a hospitality log in which to record contact with persons, firms or organisations holding, or seeking to obtain, Government contracts. All offers of gifts, complimentary vouchers, other incentives, and hospitality made to Crown Servants whether accepted or declined must be recorded in the log. Senior management are responsible for undertaking regular reviews of the hospitality log. The guidance is set out in the "Defence Business Services Gifts, Reward, and Hospitality Policy" documents which are available on the Department's intranet site.The Department's policy is based on the rules of standards and conduct found within the Civil Service Code and is consistent with approaches taken by other Government Departments.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Planning Permission: Appeals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average time taken was between receipt and decision for a planning appeal to be considered by the Planning Inspectorate in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what that time was in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: There are different procedures for determining planning appeals according to the nature and detail of the individual case. In some cases the approach can change during the course of consideration of the specific appeal, eg it could start off as a Written Representation and then change to an Inquiry. This all depends on the documentation submitted and the criteria it fulfils. A change in the approach may involve starting afresh with the new procedure which will impact on the timetable of the appealThe attached table shows, for the three different procedures, the average time taken, in weeks, to make decisions on planning appeals decided in each year since 2006-07, according to the procedure under which the appeal decision was taken.



Table
(Word Document, 23.9 KB)

Schools: Property Transfer

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, under what circumstances Ministers in his Department are consulted when a local authority is seeking to dispose of school land for new housing development.

Brandon Lewis: The Secretary of State for Education has the primary responsibility for giving consent for the disposal of school land. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is only consulted if the disposal is for less than the market value, and the reasons for disposal or discount fall outside the General Disposal Consent 2003. The Disposal Consent may be found in ODPM Circular 06/2003 at this web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disposal-of-land-for-less-than-the-best-consideration-that-can-reasonably-be-obtained-circular-06-2003. Otherwise, section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 says that local authorities may dispose of land in any manner they wish.

Local Government Finance: Redcar and Cleveland

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he plans to respond to the recent request from the Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council for a transitional sum of £1 million in lieu of raising the adult social care precept.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Spending Review recognised that demographic changes are leading to increased demand for adult social care. To support those most in need, we provided a social care package of up to £3.5 billion by 2019-20. This package includes giving all councils with responsibility for adult social care the option of an extra 2% council tax precept, as long as the precept is spent on adult social care. It is for Redcar and Cleveland to decide if they wish to take up this flexibility.

Housing: Construction

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the deliverable five-year housing allocation is for each local authority in (a) Derbyshire, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Nottinghamshire.

Brandon Lewis: We do not collate information centrally on the number of sites that are available for residential development. Local planning authorities are required to identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years worth of housing against their housing requirements.

Help to Buy Scheme

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support Help to Buy applicants whose new build completion has been delayed.

Brandon Lewis: Current arrangements provide substantial support to Help to Buy purchasers in these circumstances. As with any new build sale, the house builder and purchaser, after exchange of contracts, have a binding contract that will specify arrangements for legal completion. As such, if there are delays to completion, the purchaser should speak to their conveyancer. The Help to Buy scheme specifies that house builders must include a completion date at the point they make a claim to the Homes and Communities Agency for the Help to Buy funding to assist the purchase. If the completion date is subsequently delayed the Agency can seek to reclaim or withhold the funding from the builder if there is very little prospect of ever achieving purchaser legal completion within a reasonable time frame.

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many official visits he has made to local authorities since May 2015 where the primary purpose of the visit was in connection with the Northern Powerhouse policy.

Greg Clark: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of full-time members of staff in his Department work on the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

James Wharton: The Northern Powerhouse is a key ambition of this Government and requires input from officials across my Department and other Government Departments across a wide range of policy areas. This enables bottom-up ownership of the Northern Powerhouse agenda by Northern areas to drive evidence and strategic policymaking to ensure the North can influence, direct and benefit from the Northern Powerhouse, including through Devolution Deals.

Attendance Allowance

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Health on transferring responsibility for attendance allowance to local authorities.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced to the House of Commons on 17 December 2015, Official Report, Column 1722, that the Government is considering giving more responsibility to support older people with care needs to local authorities in England and in Wales, including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance. Officials have started to explore the potential options and will shortly begin working with stakeholders on a broad and open basis to understand how any devolution would best work.

Local Government: Disclosure of Information

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2015 to Question 16106, when he expects his Department's review of compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 to be completed.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department expects to complete the review of compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 by the end of March 2016.

Local Government: Powers

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20554, when he plans to carry out a post-implementation review of the Localism Act 2011.

Mr Marcus Jones: As indicated in my earlier answer, the review will be completed by November 2016, the 5th anniversary of the Act receiving royal assent

Wales Office

Welsh Government: Accountability

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with Ministers of the Welsh Government on strengthening financial accountability in government.

Alun Cairns: Wales Office Ministers have regular discussions with Welsh Ministers on a range of issues including how financial accountability can be strengthened by devolving tax raising powers. The Welsh Government will only become truly accountable when it takes responsibility for raising through taxation the money that it spends.

Iron and Steel: Wales

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the future of the steel industry in Wales.

Stephen Crabb: My thoughts are with the workers and communities affected by the perfect storm currently facing the UK steel industry. We are doing everything we can to put the industry onto a sustainable footing and provide a level playing field. Earlier this month, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and I visited Tata at Port Talbot to meet with management and the unions, as part of our continued engagement with the industry.

HM Treasury

Credit

Meg Hillier: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is full market participation in real-time data-sharing in the short-term credit market.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government agrees that market-wide credit data sharing is key to effective affordability assessments in the high-cost, short-term credit market. In February 2014 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) asked the payday lending industry to identify and remove any blockages to real-time data sharing as a matter of urgency. The FCA reports that there has been substantial recent progress made by the industry in this area. Over 90% of high-cost, short-term lenders by market share are meeting the FCA’s expectations to share data in real-time. The FCA expects that the proportion of firms using real-time data sharing to further increase by the time the authorisation process is complete for most high-cost short-term credit firms. The FCA will continue to monitor progress to keep this momentum, and ensure that there continues to be improvement in this area.

Double Taxation: Developing Countries

Imran Hussain: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to renegotiate tax treaties with developing countries.

Mr David Gauke: Tax treaties are negotiated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials, reporting to Treasury Ministers. The UK has a large number of tax treaties which includes treaties with developing countries. Some of those treaties require updating and HMRC officials actively seek engagement with developing countries to that end. For example, there are ongoing negotiations with Ghana, prospective negotiations with Nepal and negotiations with Lesotho and Malawi are close to conclusion. HMRC publishes the programme of tax treaty negotiations and news of signed treaties at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/double-taxation-agreements-developments-and-planned-negotiations.

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2016 to Question 26203, if he will provide the number of publicly-funded jobs related directly to the Northern Powerhouse located in (a) Cumbria, (b) Northern England, (c) London and (d) other parts of England.

Greg Hands: The latest regional public sector employment survey figures are available online at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/public-sector-employment/q3-2015/index.html

EU Budget

David T. C. Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what amount of funding the European Court of Auditors has recorded as having been misspent in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mr David Gauke: The European Court of Auditors prepares an annual audit report on the EU Budget which is published each year in November in relation to the previous EU financial year, running from January to December. This includes an estimated ‘error rate’ in relation to EU budget payments made which were not in compliance with EU regulatory requirements.The latest audit report available, published in November 2015, relates to the financial year 2014. The 2014 report can be consulted at the following link:http://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/annualreports-2014/annualreports-2014-EN.pdf

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Coal: Mining

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2016 to Question 25444, whether she has made an estimate of the proportion of coal that may have been mined by children.

Andrea Leadsom: The majority of power station operators in the UK are members of BetterCoal, an industry-led initiative which is taking action to promote responsible coal mining and has established a set of ethical, social, and environmental principles with which companies in the supply chain are expected to align. This includes conformity with a number of International Labour Organization conventions and recommendations which aim to eradicate child labour.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on reforming the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as a result of discussions with her EU counterparts and the recent COP21 climate conference.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government strongly supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Ministers and officials have discussed this recently with counterparts in other Member States, as well as with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and industry representatives. At the recent COP21 climate conference in Paris in December 2015 Ministers also participated in a session to promote the EU ETS and strengthen links to other national and international ETS. Whilst the Commission has not indicated an intention to change its proposals for the next phase of the EU ETS in light of Paris, the global climate deal means robust reforms of the EU ETS are now even more important.

Energy: Cumbria

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the number of jobs that will be created by the running and maintaining of (a) new nuclear build at Moorside and (b) Solway Firth Tidal Lagoon project in West Cumbria.

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the number of jobs that will be created by the construction phase of (a) the new nuclear build at Moorside and (b) Solway Firth Tidal Lagoon project in West Cumbria.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 22 February 2016



Nugen is proposing to build three AP1000 reactors at Moorside in Cumbria. Nugen have indicated that Moorside would bring at least £10 billion of investment into the UK with estimated peak on-site employment of up to 6,000 during construction. Regarding the Solway Firth Tidal Lagoon, the proposed project is in the early stages of development. It is too early to say how many jobs could be created.

Electricity: Storage

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department is providing for the development of (a) technologies for the improved storage of electricity and (b) locally-based smart grids.

Andrea Leadsom: More than £80m UK public sector support (including Ofgem innovation funding) has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012, which is helping to drive down the costs of storage and bring new technologies closer to market. The Department has provided more than £18m of innovation funding for development and demonstration storage technologies; including funding for four technology demonstration projects. We are facilitating the deployment of a smart grid through: Rolling out smart meters which are an integral part of a smart grid;The DECC-Ofgem Smart Grid Forum with a range of active workstreams to remove barriers to smart grid deployment.

Renewable Energy

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 22354, whether her Department plans to publish the updated detailed projections of the LCF overspend before the Easter recess.

Andrea Leadsom: The Office for Budget Responsibility published updated Levy Control Framework (LCF) spend projections alongside the Spending Review on 25 November and we anticipate they will publish an update alongside the March budget. We will publish updated projections in due course.

Energy: Employment

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many jobs are expected to be created in (a) the supply chain and (b) other areas as an indirect result of (i) new nuclear builds in Moorside and (ii) Solway Firth Tidal Lagoon project, West Cumbria.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 22 February 2016



Nugen is proposing to build three AP1000 reactors at Moorside in Cumbria. Nugen have indicated that Moorside would bring at least £10 billion of investment into the UK with estimated peak on-site employment of up to 6,000 during construction. During operation the reactors could sustain about 1,000 permanent jobs, with many more created through local and regional supply chains including in construction, manufacturing and engineering, although estimated numbers are not yet available. Regarding the Solway Firth Tidal Lagoon, the proposed project is in the early stages of development. It is too early to say how many jobs could be created.

Radioactive Waste: Storage

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the additional cost to the public purse will be of storage of additional spent fuel arising from the lifetime extension of nuclear reactors.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sellafield: Radioactive Waste

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether new storage facilities will be required at Sellafield to accommodate additional spent fuel arising from the life extension of nuclear reactors.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Radioactive Waste

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what volume of additional spent fuel will be produced as a consequence of the life extension of nuclear reactors.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Biofuels: Timber

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will undertake an assessment of the effect on the availability of UK-sourced wood supplies of (a) 50MW and under and (b) over 50MW wood-burning biomass plants.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department already monitors the use of wood for fuel in the UK through two means:Analysis of the sustainability data returned to Ofgem (a requirement for generators >50kW under the Renewables Obligation)A voluntary questionnaire which asks the large scale biomass electricity users (>50MW) of their plans for sourcing biomass for the next five years. Volumes of UK wood being used for electricity and CHP generation are expected to remain at a fairly constant level, at around 1.3-1.4million oven dried tonnes per year. There is no indication that use of UK-sourced biomass for electricity is causing resource constraints for other UK wood users (such as the wood products industry). The conclusions from our most recent analysis1 reinforce what we already understood: that while biomass generation is increasing, the demand for feedstock is being met mostly from imports. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodfuel-disclosure-survey

Biofuels

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to review the UK Bioenergy Strategy.

Andrea Leadsom: The UK Bioenergy Strategy was published by the previous government in 2012 and provides principles that provide a framework to guide policy development for bioenergy. Those principles remain relevant and so a review of the Strategy is not currently considered a priority for the Department.

Nuclear Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she has made an assessment of the potential effect on carbon dioxide emissions of the life extension of nuclear reactors compared with the use of (a) coal and (b) gas-powered electricity plants producing the same amount of electricity over the same period.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cabinet Office

Elections: Legislation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government plans to respond to the Law Commission's recommendations for change to UK electoral law published on 4 February 2016.

John Penrose: The Government is currently considering the recommendations made by the Law Commissions in their interim report of 4 February. This is a wide-ranging report that covers a number of complex issues and it is important that the Government give the report due consideration before a formal response is made.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Malnutrition

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government uses the Food Insecurity Experience Scale survey to monitor UK households' vulnerability to hunger.

George Eustice: Defra does not use the Food Insecurity Experience Scale survey to monitor UK households’ vulnerability to hunger.There is no single definition of food insecurity and Defra does not estimate numbers of households experiencing food insecurity. The factors that impact on household food security are complex. There are multiple indicators such as quality, variety and desirability of diet as well as total intake, not all of which are measured consistently. It is therefore very difficult and potentially misleading to develop a single classification of food insecurity.However Defra does publish statistics annually to show the proportion of household income spent on food by (a) all households and (b) the lowest income 20% of households. The most recent statistics are in the food statistics pocketbook 2015 on the GOV.UK website.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of the badger cull was in 2015; how much of that cost was for policing that cull; and what proportion of that cost was spent in (a) Somerset, (b) Gloucestershire and (c) Dorset.

George Eustice: Bovine TB is the greatest animal health threat to the UK. Based on current expenditure it will cost the taxpayer £1 billion over the next decade if we do not take rigorous action now. The Government is delivering a comprehensive strategy to eradicate the disease and protect the future of our dairy and beef industries. This includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, improving biosecurity, and badger control in areas where TB is rife.Total Government costs for the 2015 badger culls have not yet been finalised.Policing costs for 2015, which will be funded by Defra, were as follows:(a) Avon and Somerset: £555,514(b) Gloucestershire: £553,005(c) Dorset: £694,728.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Somerset

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of Bovine TB there have been in Somerset in each of the last four years.

George Eustice: The latest National Statistics on the incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Cattle in Great Britain were published on 10 February 2016. These include detailed statistics at county level as at the end of November 2015 and can be found on GOV.UK.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to monitor the disease status of badgers within cull areas.

George Eustice: Testing of badgers between 1998 and 2005 via the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and Road Traffic Accident surveys provided evidence of the typical prevalence of TB in badgers in areas of high incidence of TB in cattle. TB was found in around one third of all badgers in these areas.We are considering the case for a cost-effective method of testing badgers within cull areas in order to assess the impact of the current policy on badger TB prevalence.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her Written Ministerial Statement of 17 December 2015, HCWS 409, to which areas her Department plans to extend the badger cull in 2016; and what the evidential basis is for selecting those areas.

George Eustice: Farmers in a number of areas have signalled their intention to submit applications to Natural England for licences to conduct badger culls this year. Licence applications will need to meet Natural England’s licensing criteria, and applicants will have to demonstrate that they will be able to deliver safe and effective culls in order to be authorised to proceed.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Written Ministerial Statement of 17 December 2015, Bovine TB, HC 45409, when her Department plans to introduce statutory post-movement TB testing for cattle entering the low-risk area.

George Eustice: The legislation that will introduce statutory post-movement TB testing for cattle entering the low-risk area is expected to come into force on the next common commencement date, 6 April 2016.

Dairy Farming

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dairy farmers have gone out of business in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: The table below shows the net change in the number of dairy farms. Data is only available on the total number of dairy farms in June and December of each year, so the table only shows the net change, rather than the number entering and the number leaving dairy farming. The latest data available on the number of dairy farms in England is for June 2015. This is shown below with data for the previous 5 years. The change in the number of farms includes new holdings which have been registered with dairy cattle, holdings that have ceased to have cattle and holdings that have merged.The number of dairy cows on these dairy farms is also shown below. This shows that despite a 16% decrease in the overall number of dairy farms between June 2010 and June 2015, the number of dairy cows has remained almost unchanged, suggesting consolidation within the industry. DateNumber of dairy farms(a)Number of cows in the dairy herd(b)Jun-20109 4611 142 497Dec-20109 2871 147 450Jun-20119 0411 112 459Dec-20118 8231 105 290Jun-20128 6631 104 676Dec-20128 5031 107 045Jun-20138 3421 098 610Dec-20138 1971 124 368Jun-20148 0921 128 548Dec-20148 0511 150 007Jun-20157 9821 148 089% change Jun15/Jun10-16%0.5% (a) Sourced from Cattle Tracing System. Dairy farms are defined as the number of holdings with more than 10 cows in the dairy herd.(b) Cows in the dairy herd are defined as female dairy cows over 2 years old in the milking herd (i.e. with offspring).

Department of Health

Department of Health: Freedom of Information

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many freedom of information requests were (a) granted and (b) refused by his Department in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: Departmental Freedom of Information performance statistics have been published by the Ministry of Justice since 2010. These include the number of requests that were granted in full, partially withheld and fully withheld. They are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

Obesity

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the effect of sugary drinks on obesity.

Jane Ellison: There have been no such recent discussions.

Alzheimer's Disease: Prostate Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on potential links between prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Jane Ellison: There have been no such discussions.

Psychiatry

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recourse is available to patients who believe they have undergone poor or harmful NHS psychotherapy treatment.

Alistair Burt: Complaints about poor or harmful National Health Service psychotherapy treatment are handled through the NHS complaints process. Details are available at the following link:  http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

Guisborough Hospital

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will provide additional funding to South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group for improvements and new facilities at Guisborough Primary Care Hospital.

Alistair Burt: We are making additional resources available to the National Health Service by backing the NHS Five Year Forward View with £10 billion a year real terms additional funding by 2020-21, compared to 2014-15, with £3.8 billion real terms growth in 2016-17. It is for the local NHS to determine how best to use the funds available to it to improve local services. In 2016-17, the South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group will receive £413.3 million - a cash increase of 3.05%.

Cancer: Drugs

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England and NICE on the cancer drugs fund consultation.

George Freeman: NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) consultation on draft proposals on the future of the Cancer Drugs Fund closed on 11 February 2016 and they are currently considering the feedback received. A consultation report will be published on NHS England’s website in due course. The Department has regular discussions with both NHS England and NICE on a wide range of issues including the future direction of the Fund.

Neurology

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on its decision not to renew the position of National Clinical Director for Adult Neurology from March 2016.

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure continued Government funding for the Neurology Intelligence Network through NHS England and Public Health England.

Jane Ellison: Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future.Where there will no longer be a specific NCD role, NHS England will secure expert clinical advice from its clinical networks, through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. For neurology, it is planned that advice will be provided through a range of sources such as: clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks; the Neurology Clinical Reference Group; and the Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place from 1 April 2016.The Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology-related health intelligence. The NIN, which is currently funded by PHE, faces no change to its current resource for the next financial year.

Epilepsy: Drugs

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Accelerated Access Review will ensure that people with epilepsy will have access to drugs found by whole genome sequencing to be effective in treating the cause of their individual epilepsy.

George Freeman: The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. The terms of the reference for the review focus on faster access to innovations, which may include drugs identified through whole genome sequencing as effective for the treatment of epilepsies affecting individual patients.

Epilepsy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with epilepsy have been offered a personalised care plan since 2013 in accordance with the Department of Health's mandate to NHS England; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of such people.

Jane Ellison: This information is not available in the format requested. The GP Patient Survey measures the number of patients with a long term condition (LTC) who say they have care and support plans. NHS England advises that information from the patient survey for 2013/14 shows that of the 9,540 people with epilepsy that responded, 15% (1,463) reported they had a care plan, whilst 79% said no and 6% did not know. This survey does not record the number of people who were offered a care plan but did not feel they needed or wanted one. As set out in our Mandate to NHS England, all patients with a LTC should be offered a personalised care plan. To deliver this, NHS England is implementing the House of Care model for care planning, which takes into account the expertise and resources of the people with LTCs and their communities to provide a holistic approach to their lives and help them achieve the best outcomes possible. NHS England has developed tools and guidance on personalised care planning and provided examples of delivery for the local National Health Service. They have also provided a LTC dashboard providing a wealth of data about LTCs in each local area, helping clinical commissioning groups to plan services for local people.

Colorectal Cancer: Drugs

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with (a) NICE and (b) NHS England on the availability of Erbitux for metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

George Freeman: The Department has regular discussions with both NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on a wide range of issues including the availability of cancer drugs. NICE is currently updating its technology appraisal guidance on the use of Erbitux (cetuximab) for colorectal cancer along with guidance on another drug Vectibix (panitumumab) (TA240) for previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer. The anticipated publication date for NICE’s final updated guidance is April 2016. NHS England is responsible for the operational management of the Cancer Drugs Fund. Erbitux is available in England through the Fund for the first line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer subject to certain criteria including those indications not approved under TA176.

Mental Health

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Health and Wellbeing boards have identified in their strategic plans loneliness as an issue needing to be tackled.

Alistair Burt: Health and wellbeing boards are responsible for preparing joint strategic needs assessments (JSNAs) which should assess the health and care needs of the entire local population. As such, the JSNA offers a valuable opportunity for localities to review how current local services address loneliness. The Government has not highlighted or prioritised any specific groups or area of need over another as this would risk undermining the purpose of JSNAs as being objective, comprehensive and most importantly locally-owned assessments.

Mental Health Services: Lancashire

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) East Lancashire and (b) Blackburn and Darwen clinical commissioning groups on the cost of outsourced mental health services.

Alistair Burt: No Ministers in the Department have held such discussions with East Lancashire and Blackburn and Darwen Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Members: Correspondence

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to reply to the letter to his Department from the hon. Member for Ashfield of 4 January 2016 on the GP surgery in Underwood.

Alistair Burt: I replied to the hon. Member on 28 January.

General Practitioners: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent GPs were employed in general practices in Ashfield in the financial years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2014-15.

Alistair Burt: The information requested is not collected in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table. Total number of general practitioners (GPs) in selected areas in England: full time equivalents, 2010 to 2014Area20102011201220132014Nottingham City Primary Care Trust (PCT)167174192..Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT473492485..NHS Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)...9999NHS Nottingham North and East CCG...8392NHS Nottingham West CCG...5460Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Area Team...127174Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) General and Personal Medical Services Statistics Notes:GP workforce numbers are available only by the National Health Service organisation where they are employed; figures are not available at constituency level. Ashfield constituency is contained within and serviced by Mansfield and Ashfield CCG, Nottingham North and East CCG and Nottingham West CCG but cannot be identified separately within these larger areas. Prior to the formation of CCGs in April 2013, these three CCGs were part of Nottingham City PCT and Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT.In 2013 and 2014 there were a number of GP registrars (trainees) employed centrally by NHS England’s Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Area Team. It was not possible to attach many of these staff to a specific GP practice within a CCG.Data are shown as at 30 September each year as per the NHS workforce census. Figures by financial year are not available.'.' denotes not applicable.Data Quality: The HSCIC seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.

Mental Health Services: Children in Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the provision of mental health care services for children in the care system.

Alistair Burt: The Government has made no such central assessment. It is for local areas to consider and commission services based on the needs of their local population. Local transformation plans produced in each area of the country set out how they plan to meet the full spectrum of needs of children and young people with mental health problems including the needs of the most vulnerable, such as children in the care system. At the Education Select Committee hearing on the mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children held on 3 February 2016, it was announced that the Department of Health and Department for Education will set up an Expert Group, working with NHS England, Health Education England, and sector partners, to develop care pathways to support an integrated approach to meeting the needs of looked-after children with mental health difficulties. By summer 2016 the expert group will be established to lead the development of models of care for looked-after children’s mental health. Members of this expert group will be drawn from across the health, social care and education sectors, with input from children, young people, carers and families with experience of the care system.

Mental Health Services

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost to the NHS has been of outsourced mental health services in each of the last three years.

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the cost of outsourced mental health services.

Alistair Burt: We do not hold this information centrally. Departmental Ministers regularly discuss a number of mental health issues with NHS England officials, although no discussions specifically about the cost of outsourced mental health services have taken place.

NHS: ICT

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects that a paperless NHS will be achieved.

George Freeman: The National Information Board framework Personalised Health and Care 2020 published in November 2014 outlined by 2020 all care records will be digital real-time and interoperable. Progress is being made and the recent announcement of significant investment in digital technology will help support the National Health Service to achieve this commitment.

Gambling

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of gambling addiction in each of the last three years.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the costs to the NHS of the treatment of people with addiction to fixed odds betting terminals.

Alistair Burt: No such estimate has been made. We have no current plans to make such an assessment. We know that gambling addiction can potentially have a harmful impact on both a person’s physical and mental wellbeing and problem gamblers can access services in primary care and secondary care including specialised mental health and addiction services. The Prime Minister recently announced £1 billion to start a revolution in mental health, including £247 million to make sure that every emergency department has mental health support (following £30 million invested in 2015/16). Also, over £400 million for crisis resolution home treatment teams will help to improve the management of admissions to acute psychiatric inpatient care, as well as ensure the routine availability of 24/7 intensive home treatment support as a safe and effective alternative to hospitals. Commissioners must continue to increase investment in mental health services each year at a level which at least matches their overall allocation increase.